Yukina's Quest
by sylversylvan
Summary: Everyone knows that Yukina wants to find her brother, and that she asked Hiei to help. What if she got impatient and decided to go herself? What if she asked a certain fire demon to go with her? I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of the characters.
1. Chapter 1 Boring start out pt 1

Yukina had left her home and traveled through the Makai looking for her brother. She wasn't the strongest of demons,

and was captured and tortured by humans who wanted her crystal tears. After that, she'd left the search to the Spirit

Detectives who had rescued her. But now they had their own lives to live.

Yusuke and Keiko were getting married. Kuwabara was training in the mountains with Genkai. Kurama was in his last

year of college. Botan had her own job too. She couldn't count on them to do what she should've been doing herself.

Quietly, without letting anyone know, she packed everything she thought she'd need while in the demon world. And a

few chocolate bars, just in case.

She thought about leaving by herself, but even with the training she'd received while in the human world, many demons

were still stronger than her, and with her being a koorime the strongest would be attracted to her. But she couldn't ask

one of the detectives to go with her, they were all busy except...

Hiei was always so nice. He'd always come to visit, even though he didn't have any news. He ate the things she made

while she was learning to cook, even though she hadn't been good at it at first. Yusuke had gagged and chugged a gallon

of water from a vase that time she made the cookies with salt instead of sugar, but Hiei had eaten five or six before the

detective had gotten there, all without saying a word. He looked after her. She couldn't count how many times she'd

looked up to see him in a nearby tree, seemingly asleep but alert to everything that happened. For some reason he was

nice to her, probably because he hadn't found her brother.

He was a powerful demon, she'd seen that in the tournaments he'd fought in, both the one with and against the other

members of his team. He'd be able to protect her. But she shouldn't ask him for anything else, he'd done enough. He

kept saying how much he liked the Makai better...But that didn't mean he'd want to babysit her on her little quest. She'd

heard the others talk about how he wanted to fight strong demons, like the one's who'd be attracted to her tears.

But...But...

She wanted him to go with.

She shook her head. She couldn't ask him to go with. But she would say goodbye, she owed him that. Never mind that

she wasn't telling anyone else, they would only try to stop her. That's why she wasn't, yeah, that was it.

She scanned the trees, making sure he wasn't nearby. Nope, if he was still in the Human world he'd be at Kurama's.

Hiei was at Kurama's, sitting in the window seat with his sword propped up next to him. He didn't open his eyes at her

entrance, but she saw the tiniest movement of his head, an almost imperceptible nod.

"Hello Yukina,'' welcomed Kurama, polite as always, "Would you like some tea?''

"Yes, please,'' she smiled back. Kurama vanished around the corner, into the kitchen. She settled in to wait, closing her

eyes and sitting silently with Hiei. The stillness didn't bother her, after all, she'd grown up among Ice Maidens, quiet was

nothing new. After a few moments she opened her eyes and looked around the room.

Kurama had painted the walls with what most would call fantastical plants from his imagination, but Yukina recognized

them as demonic in nature. Kurama came back with two cups of tea, which smelled delicious. She took a moment to

savor the smell before sipping slowly. If all went well, it would be awhile before she could try his specialty blends again.

She hadn't had this flavor before though, and she closed her eyes, trying to decide what it tasted like.

"What do you think? I'm trying to think of a name for it.''

"After Rain.'' Yukina's eyes flew open and she grinned at Hiei. That was exactly what it was. Kurama nodded and wrote it

down on a paper.

"So why exactly are you here? Normally we come to you.'' She gulped, a little nervous now.

"To say goodbye,'' she whispered. Two sets of eyes, green and red, focused on her face, but neither said anything. She

swallowed again.

"I'm going to the Makai to look for my brother.''


	2. Chapter 2 Boring start pt 2

Both of them were upset, though they concealed it. She wiggled in her seat.

"Are you sure that this is the best option?'' asked Kurama. She nodded.

"He's my brother, it's my job to find him. I can't leave it to everyone else forever, you have your own lives to live. I

know I was captured last time, but I've been training with Genkai. And I sold some of my tear gems and invested the

money, with Genkai's help. Last week I pulled most of it out to buy other precious stones. I should have enough for a

bodyguard now.''

"Hn,'' Hiei snorted derisively and stood up, "When do we leave?''

Yukina's heart soared for a moment, but she shook her head. "I shouldn't ask you for anything else, you've done enough

already.'' Hiei continued to wait, ignoring her words.

"You didn't ask,'' Kurama said with a glint in his eye, "and believe me, once Hiei decides to do something, you can't

change his mind.''

She nodded, not arguing as much as she knew she should. She'd feel safer with Hiei around than with a hundred of

the Makai's best bodyguards.

"I was planning to leave tonight, after I talked to you.''

"Did you inform the others yet?'' asked Kurama. Hiei stood there, looking away.

"No, I knew that they'd think it was too dangerous and worry...Not that you wouldn't worry, but I thought I should tell

you, because of how much you've helped me...and now you're doing even more.'' Impulsively, she hugged Kurama. He

seemed surprised, but laughed and hugged her back.

"I'll stall, and tell them in a few days, so that they don't worry. Good luck, little sister,'' he said. Hiei watched from the

corner of his eye, but seemed shocked when she hugged him as well.

"Thank you,'' she said, looking slightly up into his eyes. He stood there stiffly, weight shifting from side to side until she

released him.

"Let's go,'' he said gruffly, looking away again and jumping out the window. Yukina smiled and followed him, only she left

through the door. When she got outside she waved back at Kurama. Finally, she was going to meet her brother. With

Hiei's help, she was sure to find him!


	3. Chapter 3 Into the Makai

I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho

The very first thing Yukina did after crossing into the Makai was fall

into a patch of quicksand. She immediately froze it and pulled herself up onto the

surface. She was shaking off frozen clumps of mud when Hiei crossed behind her

and saw the ice.

"Hn,'' he said approvingly. Yukina smiled and headed off into the forest in

the direction of a town she knew. She didn't notice when Hiei disappeared for a

moment, but she smelled blood nearby. She looked back at Hiei, who looked

away. He wasn't worried, so she wasn't either, and she quickly forgot.

She walked quickly, wanting to reach the town before dark. She trusted

Hiei to protect her, of course, but didn't want to cause him trouble if she didn't

have to. They walked in silence for about two hours before the city wall came into

view.

Yukina turned to Hiei and said, "This is Brink.'' Hiei nodded. "I have a

friend here, he can tell us where to start looking.'' Another nod. "And there's a

good jewelry store that will take these gems.'' Gemstones were valuable

everywhere, but the prices weren't fixed, and most of the Makai used coins. If she

tried using jewels to pay for everything, then people might start to wonder where

she got them.

Not that they'd worry about her having stolen them, they'd wonder how

many more she had. That was how she'd gotten captured the last time. Not many

people knew what a Koorime looked like, but she'd been carrying a lot of

teargems with her. That was what attracted Tarukane at first, but one of his

lackeys had hit her and she teared up. It was only a little, but they realized what

she was right away.

She wouldn't make that mistake this time!

They got into town just before the gates closed and Yukina led the way

to an inn in the center of town. She paused just before opening the door.

Hiei was a little worried. His sister seemed to be preparing herself for

something. Was the shopkeeper strict or something? He was about to suggest that

he go first when Yukina pasted a big smile on her face and threw the door open.

"Yukina-chan!'' a big purple and green spotted blob threw itself into Yukina's

arms.

"Hello Roger.''

Hiei glared at the blob, who shrank a little and wrapped itself around Yukina's

legs.

"Who's your friend with the scary eyes?'' it said in a loud whisper.

"This is Hiei, he's going to help me find my brother,'' Yukina said with a smile

at him. He looked away. Roger oozed over to him and grew slightly to look him in the eye

before collapsing and moving away from the door.

"I guess pretty girls like you need people with scary eyes to keep away the

bad guys. Welcome!'' Roger lead them into a room full of demons that were laughing and

drinking. There was a singer standing on a small table in the corner, with a musician playing

an instrument with a lot of strings and buttons.

Luckily it had a lot of arms.

"I'll prepare a room for you...two beds?'' Roger asked. Hiei opened his

mouth to say that he wouldn't be sleeping in this dump, but Yukina beat him to it.

"Just one bed please, and a large cushion,'' she said politely.


	4. Chapter 4: A night at the Inn

Sorry for not posting for so long. I'll try to be faster with the next chapter. I do not own YU YU Hakusho.

-Hiei didn't sleep, but he did relax. There was no way he couldn't, with

everything Yukina did. She arranged for the top floor, somehow knowing that he

liked being up high. Although always sitting in trees might have given that away.

She had the cushion placed in the window so that he could see out. And there was

an impressive view of the river that cut through the city. Since the Inn was on a

hill, there was nothing to block his view of the sky either. Yukina also made a pot

of tea the moment they brought their stuff in. Fire demons loved hot drinks.

-There was no way that he could tell her who he was. She was too

perfect. He would follow her around on this trip and make sure that she didn't get

into trouble, or find out who he was. He knew better than to try to make her go

back. Yukina was sweet, but stubborn. He could drag her back, but she'd just slip

away on her own. And Hiei wasn't even certain that he could drag her back. She

wasn't the strongest demon around, but she wasn't a pushover either. She'd

survived years of torture without breaking, at least not beyond a few shed tears.

She wouldn't hold back if he tried to take her to the Ningen world by force, but

he'd have to be careful the whole time. He wasn't used to being careful with his

opponents, so he'd be worried about hurting her the whole time. Or actually hurt

her. There was no way that he could live with that. So he didn't say anything

about going home.

-He took the cup she gave him, settled in the window with it, and

watched Yukina prepare for bed. She went behind a screen to change, and he

turned away. He could see her silhouette through the thin fabric. She crawled onto

the mat and wrapped herself in the very fluffy blankets that the Inn provided.

-"Good night Hiei,'' she yawned.

-"Hn. Good night.''

-She fell asleep quickly and he watched the moon cross the sky until it

was blocked by lower buildings.

-The Inn was better protected than he thought. A low-level demon tried to

break in later in the night. Purple and green glop trickled out of the seams in the

wall, surrounded the demon, and digested it before returning to the building. Now that

he was looking for it, Hiei could sense Roger all around him. Obviously Roger was stronger

than Hiei had thought.

-Hiei didn't sleep, but he did relax. Of course, if there had been a threat he

would've sensed it and been alert and ready to fight in seconds. But other than the

one incident the night was quiet. Or, it would've been, if Yukina didn't talk in her

sleep.


	5. Chapter 5 A night at the Inn part 2

_*_*_*_*_Yukina fell asleep quickly. This was one of the few safe places she'd

found when she was traveling alone. The fact that Roger was actually part of

the house was a little creepy, but he took good care of his guests. Especially

Yukina, since she'd helped heal his daughter a few decades ago. She'd had a

fever, and Yukina had used her powers to help cool her down. The healer said

that she'd gotten better faster than normal, and now Yukina knew that it had

been because of her latent healing powers. Roger had always suspected

though, and treated her nicely.

_*_*_*_*_Yukina didn't know very much about her brother, but she knew he

was strong and liked fighting. So she circled close to the human world often.

Many strong demons liked to try to cross the barrier, and she'd hoped that

eventually he would be attracted to the challenge the barrier, or other demons,

would provide. She'd become well known in the border towns, and there were

several girls named Yuki in this area.

_*_*_*_*_But even though so many people liked her, she didn't trust them as

much as Hiei. Life in the Makai was hard, and information about a lone Koorime

was valuable. One year might get a little too hard and make it a little too

tempting to talk. She liked to think the best of people, but she did know how

the world worked. Hiei was different though. She'd trusted him from the minute

she saw him. Getting between a demon and the one it was fighting was

dangerous, they often lost themselves and hurt friends. Most would, at the

least, throw her across the room. It was automatic. It wouldn't be strange for

her to be killed. But she didn't feel an ounce of fear when she'd grabbed his arm

and begged him to stop.

_*_*_*_*_Yukina hoped her brother would be like him. But then she remembered how

Hiei had fought in the tournament...

_*_*_*_*_Hiei watched Yukina thrash around.

_*_*_*_*_"No," she said, "Don't fight.'' She started crying, teargems hitting the floor. Hiei

wasn't sure what to do. He just stood there, hoping that she'd stop. Finally he couldn't

stand it. He touched her shoulder, trying to wake her up. Yukina's eyes flew open and

glowed as she covered the room in a thick sheet of ice.

_*_*_*_*_"Yukina. Wake up,'' he said as gently as he could. Yukina's eyes fluttered and

stopped glowing. She gasped.

_*_*_*_*_"Hiei! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?'' she said, worried that she'd hurt him.

_*_*_*_*_"Hn." Hiei shook the ice off and returned to the window. Yukina went back to

sleep, but continued to have bad dreams, and she cried again and begged the people in

her dream not to fight. By morning, Hiei was ready to kill whoever it was in her dream,

follow them to the spirit world, and make that stupid toddler bring them back so he could

kill them again.


	6. Chapter 6 A lead

Sorry for the slow-moving story. From now on, more things will happen, and each chapter will be longer.

_*_*_*_*_In the morning, Hiei woke up to the smell of tea. His eyes snapped

open and he saw that somehow Yukina had managed to get up, change, tidy

up, and make breakfast without his noticing. How could she do that? he thought

He should have woken up the moment she moved. Had the human world dulled

his senses that much? No, he always knew when the fox boy had gotten up.

Yukina looked up at him and smiled.

_*_*_*_*_ "Good morning Hiei,'' she said, handing him a bowl. He took it and

ate quickly, listening to her talk.

_*_*_*_*_ "We should stay here another day. There is a jeweler in town that

hears a lot of information. And someone else nearby is a spy who keeps track

of strong demons for the Spirit World. It will only take a few hours to go to her

place and back, so we can stay here another night comfortably. It may be

awhile before we can do that again.

_*_*_*_*_ "Yukina,'' Hiei said brusquely, "You were having nightmares. Who

were they about?'' He was going to slice that person into a thousand pieces.

Yukina, about to take a drink, lowered her cup and stared at the floor. He

waited for her to speak.

_*_*_*_*_"Hiei,'' she said finally, "I haven't been able to find very much

information about my brother. I do know that he is strong though, and likes to

fight strong demons. ( She placed her cup down and looked up.) Please don't

fight him!"

_*_*_*_*_Hiei blinked. He'd thought that the person she'd dreamed about

would be someone from her past. Maybe one of the men who'd held her

captive and tortured her. Not him. Not to mention the problem about his earlier

threat. He wasn't sure he could cut himself into a thousand pieces. Maybe a

dozen or so, but then he'd pass out from the pain, or loss of blood. Yukina

leaned forward and grabbed his hand, tears forming and falling from her eyes.

_*_*_*_*_ "Please, promise me,'' she cried, "promise that even if he attacks

you you won't fight him. I don't know what I'd do if he hurt you, or you hurt

him." Hiei blinked again. He probably shouldn't try to cut himself into a

thousand pieces, not if it would make her even more upset.

_*_*_*_*_ "Hn,'' he said, "I won't kill him. ( Suicide is for weak-minded

worms, he thought, forgetting the fact that he had been considering cutting

himself into a thousand pieces. ) I won't do anything to make you cry.'' Yukina

beamed at him and bounce to her feet.

_*_*_*_*_ "Thank you Hiei-san,'' she said, "I will go speak to the shopkeeper I

was talking about. His store is close, so I should be back soon. Oh!'' Yukina

suddenly remembered the tears she'd just shed. She bent to retrieve them, but

Hiei was already there. He gathered them in a flash and handed them to her.

_*_*_*_*_ "Be careful with these,'' he said, " Let's go.''

break break break break break break break break break

_*_*_*_*_ The shop was right around the corner, a small, dark place with

unusually high quality products. Looking around, Hiei saw rare gems that

wouldn't be out of place in Yomi's castle, but what were they doing in a tiny

little shop near the border to the human world? Then he saw the shopkeeper, a

scaly humanoid figure with purple hair and green eyes. There was only one

water demon with such fine merchandise. He was hard to find, and only a few

people knew where his shop was. Meguro still hadn't found it yet, though not

for lack of trying.

_*_*_*_*_ "Yukina!'' the demon exclaimed, "It's been awhile. How are you?''

_*_*_*_*_ "I am fine Marik-san. This is Hiei-san, he's accompanying me on my

search to find my brother.'' Marik looked at Hiei and frowned.

_*_*_*_*_ "Really? Isn't he...?'' Hiei glared at Marik, who gulped. "I haven't

heard anything new honey, I'm sorry.'' Yukina sighed but smiled at him.

_*_*_*_*_ "That's okay, I didn't expect to find him on the first day.'' She sold

Marik her teargems with Hiei looking over. Marik was so nervous, he ended up

paying nearly twice what he'd meant to. Despite what he'd told Yukina, he had

been hearing about her brother a lot lately. Especially about his performance in

the Dark Tournament. He didn't want to anger anyone who could control the

Dark Dragon. Especially not a mentally imbalanced one. Which the boy had to

be, if he wouldn't tell Yukina who he was. Marik sighed in relief when they left

his shop without breaking anything.

break break break break break break break break

_*_*_*_*_ Yukina was a little worried about Marik. He'd seemed distracted and

nervous to her. Probably because of Hiei. He normally only dealt with

established customers, and always insisted on referrals and meeting a new

customer at a remote location before allowing them to see his shop. That was

why his shop was in such bad shape. He didn't want anyone wandering in to

take a look.

_*_*_*_*_ Hiei and Yukina went straight to the spy's place. It wasn't far, but it

took awhile to get past all the traps, even though Yukina knew where most of

them were. Finally they made it to the house, where a fully armored Anzu met

them with a sword. She lowered it when she saw who it was, but took a ready

stance again when Hiei moved forward.

_*_*_*_*_ "Anzu-chan doesn't let anyone in her house,'' Yukina explained.

Before she could say anything, Anzu began talking.

_*_*_*_*_ "Before you ask, no I haven't seen your brother.''( Yukina drooped

a little. She really hadn't expected results this soon, but it was still a

disappointment.) But theres a guy up North who has. He lives in the village of

Set and used to be a surgeon's assistant. Now go away!''


	7. Chapter 7: The answer

_-_-_-_-_After the abrupt dismissal, Hiei and Yukina spent a quiet night at the

Inn and set out at first light. Before they left, Yukina had divided their belongings

into two piles, with everything that they shared her pile. Hiei took her pile while

she wasn't looking and left his, which was next to nothing.

_-_-_-_-_"There's no need for you to carry anything," Yukina said, "I was the

one who asked you for help, so I should be making it as easy for you as I can."

_-_-_-_-_"..."

_-_-_-_-_ "Thank you." They walked in silence for a few hours, both of them

wishing for the other to say something. Both of them had been raised in mostly

silence, but being around their friends, especially Yusuke and Kuwabara,

although even Kurama had played music when he was alone, and that had

made them accustomed to noise, even though they usually just watched the

conversations.

_-_-_-_-_ So they just walked on awkwardly, hoping that the other would

speak. The Makai was a dangerous place for idle conversation, but they had

confidence in Hiei's ability to defeat any youkai they met.

_-_-_-_-_ "Why did you suddenly decide to do this?'' Hiei said out of nowhere.

Yukina blinked at Hiei.

_-_-_-_-_ "It wasn't sudden," she said, as if he should have known, " I was just

waiting until I'd reached a higher level in my training. If you hadn't found him

by then.'' Hiei shifted uncomfortably, but nodded. He should have known.

Koorime were very strict about the whole not leaving the island thing. Anyone

who left without permission would be considered dead, and if they returned

alive, as an one brave enough to risk that and leave their home

wouldn't be content to just sit around before they'd reached their goal.

_-_-_-_-_"What level?'' Hiei asked, a bit unclearly. Luckily Yukina understood.

_-_-_-_-_ "I could probably hold Kuwabara off, although I'm not sure I could

beat him.'' Hiei was impressed. Whatever he thought about the carrot-top's

intelligence, he was strong. Suddenly something else occurred to him.

_-_-_-_-_ "How much do you know? About your brother?''

_-_-_-_-_ Yukina blinked, that was one of the longest phrases she'd heard Hiei

say, that didn't have an insult in it. "Not too much. I know he's a swordfighter, like

you, and that he's strong. A lot of people are scared of him. He moves around a

lot, but has never visited our father. That's about it. Everything else I hear is the

same, or obviously wrong." She sighed. Something stuck out at Hiei.

_-_-_-_-_ "Your father is alive?''

_-_-_-_-_ "Yes, said Yukina coldly. Hiei glanced at her, surprised. He'd never heard

her use that tone of voice. She noticed his look and explained. "If he had taken

responsibility and brought Mom with him when he left, or if he'd told the truth, none

of this would've happened. But he told her to wait for him, and she did. Otherwise she

could left with us and we could've been raised together. So I encased him in a block

of ice. (This part was said with a sweet voice that made Hiei shiver. Hiei.) Every few

years I go back and reinforce the ice, although I put it in a cold place so it wouldn't

melt. I'll have to go there soon...''

_-_-_-_-_''How will you recognize him when you meet him?'' She hadn't yet, but he

wanted to be sure.

_-_-_-_-_ " The teargems. When they're near each other they'll glow. Mine will heat up,

and his will freeze.'' Hiei swallowed. Luckily, when he'd chickened out of telling Yukina,

he'd found a spell in Makuro's castle. It made the gem unnoticeable, as long as he kept

it out of sight, no magic would be able to track it. Apparently, it also blocked whatever

Yukina was talking about too. So long as he kept it under his shirt, everything would be

fine.

_-_-_-_-_They lapsed back into silence for a few hours, until they were attacked by

a low-level demon who couldn't even sense power levels.

_-_-_-_-_ "I am the great Tor! Kneel before me and hand over your valuables! And

the pretty girl. Hehehe." He leered at Yukina. The twins looked up at him and Hiei

motioned for Yukina to keep walking.

_-_-_-_-_ "Where do you think you're going?!'' Tor shouted, reaching for Yukina. His arm

hit the ground and he stared at the stump in confusion. He dropped, wailing.

_-_-_-_-_ "Get lost, you're not worth my time." Hiei wouldn't kill anything in front of

Yukina that he didn't have to. Yukina realized this, and smiled. She didn't like watching

anyone die, even evil people. She knew it would've been just as easy for Hiei to kill

that demon, but that he'd held back for her. She felt happy, even though normally she

would've been disgusted by the gory scene.

* * *

Later that night.

_-_-_-_-_There was something wrong. Hiei could sense someone's presence, but not

their Ki. He dropped the pack he'd been holding and stood in front of Yukina.

_-_-_-_-_" What is it?'' Yukina whispered. Hiei's eyes darted back and forth, but he

didn't answer. Yukina nodded, and her face grew determined. Her eyes glowed

white, and frost covered the ground and the nearby trees. Crisscrossing bars of ice

around the two, ready for an attack from any direction.

_-_-_-_-_The trees moved, shaking off the ice, and a voice said, " Sorry. I knew you'd

gotten powerful under Genkai, but I was curious.'' Hiei and Yukina relaxed.

_-_-_-_-_ "Stupid fox."


	8. Chapter 8 Kitsune Visitor

_-_-_-_"Hello Yukina, how are you?'' Kurama asked pleasantly. His eyes

-_yq

flicked over to Hiei. "Hello Hiei."

-_yq

_-_-_-_"Kurama-san! What are you doing here?'' Yukina gasped, letting the ice melt and

-_yq

running to hug him. Hiei's eyes narrowed. Kurama was in his human form.

-_yq

_-_-_-_"Fox." Kurama looked up. "Why are you not Youko?''

-_yq

_-_-_-_"Youko stands out too much.''

-_yq

_-_-_-_"And that rediculous hair of yours doesn't?'' Surprisingly, it actually

-_yq

blended with the dark vegetation. "A human scent will attract predators."

-_yq

_-_-_-_"My human form will attract low-lifes, yes, but they are an annoyance,

-_yq

nothing more. But there are many people who want revenge on Youko, and are

-_yq

powerful enough to cause problems for us.

-_yq

_-_-_-_"But everyone from the dark tournament knows that you are Youko,'' said

-_yq

Yukina, puzzled, "will it make a difference?''

-_yq

_-_-_-_ "Yes,'' Kurama smiled, "But there were at most two thousand people

-_yq

there. About eight hundred died, in the matches and accidents. It's been years since that."

-_yq

Kurama fell silent for a minute, calculating. "Between the fact that life in the Makai is

-_yq

naturally hard, and those who attended the tournament would be more attracted to

_-yq

would only be about four hundred people left, and I don't think we'll run into

_-yq

them. Besides, they've seen us fight." He chuckled.

_-yq

_-_-_-_"I doubt they would challenge you after seeing you fight,'' Yukina smiled, "You two

_-yq

are so much stronger than anyone else.''

_-yq

_-_-_-_ "You'd be surprised how stupid people can be,'' Hiei sneered. Yukina hid a grin.

_-yq

Hiei's jokes are mean, but clear and funny. Her eyes widened slightly. She liked Hiei's

_-yq

jokes, just not him and Kazuma fighting, they both had short tempers and were so strong.

_-yq

Both boys noticed, and Hiei felt a flash of guilt, thinking she was shocked. Kurama quickly

_-yq

changed the subject.

_-_-_-_"I came to accompany you, if you don't mind." Kurama held up a large pack.

_-yq

_-_-_-_"Of course I don't mind! Unless Hiei..." Hiei looked away, seemingly bored, and

_-yq

Yukina flashed him a grateful glance, "We could use any help." Her smile grew, but

_-yq

Kurama's faded. He looked at her sadly.

_-yq

_-_-_-_"I'm afraid that I'm only here as a companion and guard, not a searcher." Now

_-yq

Yukina's smile faded.

_-yq

_-_-_-_ "Why not?" she asked quietly. Kurama must have a reason for refusing, even

_-yq

though he'd come so far. But no, thinking back, he'd always change the subject whenever

_-yq

she brought up her brother. That had to mean..."You know my brother." It wasn't a

_-yq

question. Kurama nodded. "Tell me where he is." It was a command filled with all the

_-yq

royal iciness the Koorime were famous for. Kurama slowly shook his head. "Why not?"

_-yq

Now YUkina was pleading, tears in her eyes.

_-yq

_-_-_-_ "I'm afraid it would be hazardous to my health,'' chuckled Kurama darkly, glancing

_-yq

over at Hiei, who was trying to incinerate him with his gaze. _It would work better if you_

_-yq

_opened your Jagan he thought at his friend_, who growled and vanished. Yukina considered,

_-yq

then nodded.

_-yq

_-_-_-_ "Tell me about him?'' Any information was better than nothing. Kurama smiled

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evilly.

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_-_-_-_ "He's stubborn, impossibly so,'' he said, launching into a story about their past. (A

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thief is a thief, even if they switch species. Kurama needed to snitch things from time to

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time or, like any addict, he gets twitchy.) Yusuke and company would recognize the story

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as one of his and Hiei's exploits, but they hadn't shared it with Yukina, who was enraptured.

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All she'd had were second-hand stories that were full of fear and blown up larger than life,

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now at last she'd met someone who really knew him, and heard straight from them.

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_-_-_-_ "We need to keep moving," snapped Hiei at a particularly embarrassing part.

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_-_-_-_ "Of course," Kurama grinned. He continued talking as they walked. Vines and plants

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moved out of the pairs' way, so they made better time than before. Behind them, the plants

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moved back so that they didn't leave a trail. Hiei ground his teeth, forced to listen as his

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partner told what Hiei considered humiliating tales and Yukina gasped and giggled over

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them. Wait. He stiffened and flittted closer. She was definitely giggling.

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_-_-_-_ He thought she'd be disgusted by his past. He shook his head. She wasn't giggling

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at his past, she thought it was someone else. It'd be different once she knew it was him.

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If she knew it was him, not when. He'd never tell her, it would just hurt her.

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break

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_-_-_-_ The rest of the day was uneventful. Kurama continued to tell stories about Yukina's

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brother, avoiding things that would reveal his identity. Hiei alternated staying with the

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group and scouting ahead. The next day started the same.

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_-_-_-_ "Kurama..."Began Yukina, "does my brother know about me?'' Kurama froze, brain

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working furiously to try to come up with something that wouldn't hurt Yukina, but wasn't a

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lie. Hiei stiffened and shot ahead. "So he does." Yukina sighed.

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_-_-_-_"He was looking for you when we met..."

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_-_-_-_ "But he stopped," she said flatly.

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_-_-_-_"He has his reasons, stubborn, remember? You'll have to track him down. It won't

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be easy, and I can't help you, but I will tell you this: Don't give up. He's closer than you

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think.'' They lapsed into silence, and that was how Hiei found them when he came back.

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Yukina had a sad but determined look, and Kurama was glaring at him furiously.


	9. Chapter 9 Off to see the Witch-girl

_-_-_-_The next few hours were uneventful, until a large group of low-level youkai

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decided that they'd make a good target. Once again, ice surrounded the travelers,

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but this time it attacked and speared the oncoming youkai. Yukina took three out

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herself before one tried to sneak up on her. Hiei took care of it, and Kurama

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finished off the rest. One of them dropped a bag that started to squirm away.

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Hiei took a step towards it and it stopped moving as it sensed him. With a quick

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slash he cut it open to reveal a cowering toad-like youkai.

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_-_-_-_ "Don't kill me!" All three of the travelers winced. The demon had a high

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grating voice that hurt their ears. Yukina knelt next to it. Hiei narrowed his eyes

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in warning, but she ignored him. The toad-thing's gaze darted back and forth,

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taking in the bodies and the unwounded, obviously strong travelers.

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_-_-_-_ "We won't kill you,'' Yukina said gently,"We were attacked by those

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bandits as well." The creature looked up at Yukina with growing hope.

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_-_-_-_ "They attacked me on my way to Yomi's lands. I can read, and heard he

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was hiring," it said proudly. Reading was a skill not many Youkai possessed.

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Kurama hadn't learned until he went to kindergarten, in the human world. Hiei

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still couldn't, despite Kurama offering to teach him, but Yukina had learned from

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Genkai.

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_-_-_-_ "We're going the other way, to a small village between the Akari

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Tengus' mountain and Kagome's Well."

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_-_-_-_ "To see the witch,'' the toad nodded knowingly.

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_-_-_-_ "No, actually we're looking for information about my brother."

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_-_-_-_ "You should ask the witch!'' cried the creature, wanting to get away from

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the two boys, but also a bit enchanted by the pretty Koorime. "She knows things,

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secrets and spells that no one else does." Yukina got excited.

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_-_-_-_ "We should go see her!'' she cried, "if she's anything like Genkai she

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could be a big help. Kurama smirked and wondered if he should tell Yukina why

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it could be a bad thing to call someone a witch.

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_-_-_-_ "You don't know her," Hiei said curtly, worried the witch might really

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know his secret, "she could be dangerous."

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_-_-_-_ "She is, a little,'' the toad said, "She tore a customer apart, but that was because

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he called her a name. Other people sometimes walk away with cuts and bruises, but nothing

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worse than a broken bone or two.''

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_-_-_-_ "I'd say that that is a little dangerous, yes," said Kurama drily.

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_-_-_-_ "She's not normally like that. She's crazy, but if you bring her a gift she likes..."

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_-_-_-_ "What is she called?'' asked Yukina. She reached into her belt pouch to finger a

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teargem.

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_-_-_-_ "She didn't give us one, so we just call her The Witch. Don't call her that to her face

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though, she doesn't like it."

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One day of arguing and sulky silences later they arrived in the town.

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_-_-_-_ "So where are we going?'' The three stood in the middle of town, people walking all

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around them. Yukina blushed, she wasn't really sure.

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_-_-_-_ "Are you here to see the witch?'' a small boy asked. The three looked at him. " I'll

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take you to her if you want." He held his hand out. Hiei snorted. Yukina looked at his hand

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and then his face, unsure what he wanted. Kurama leaned forward and dropped a coin in it.

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_-_-_-_ "Another when we get there." They followed him to the edge of the village, to a tiny

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house covered in random trinkets. The boy took his coin and left them to make introductions

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themselves. They walked forward, up the stone walkway to the door, which was swinging

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open on it's hinges. The three looked at each other and then Kurama shrugged and leaned

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forward to knock.

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_-_-_-_ "FOOOOX!" A shrieking blur hit the group from behind, causing them to fall in a pile.

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Hiei broke away immediately, turning to face the attacker. Yukina crawled out from under

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Kurama, who had turned into Youko. Sitting on him, rubbing his ears, was a small child,

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five or six years old.

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_-_-_-_ "A fox, a fox, the king of thieves,'' she crooned, pulling one of Youko's tails. "Silver

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and red in one, right Buraun?'' She giggled.

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_-_-_-_ "Buraun?"

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_-_-_-_ "It's what my father used to call me, since I was always covered in dirt."

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_-_-_-_ "Umm, we were hoping.."

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_-_-_-_ " I know."

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_-_-_-_ "It's about..."

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_-_-_-_" I. Know."

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_-_-_-_ "Well do you..."

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_-_-_-_ " If you make me say it again I'll turn your hair pink." Yukina stopped trying to talk,

_-yq

and the witch started braiding Youko's tails. He twitched in annoyance, but didn't try to stop

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her. He could tell that this girl was powerful, and they needed her happy anyway. Yukina

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took out a teargem and opened her mouth, but the witch cut her off.

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_-_-_-_" I want both." Yukina reached for another one. " No, not another of yours, I want

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his." She pointed at Hiei, who drew his sword. She pointed at the sky.

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_-_-_-_ "Tobasco bomb!'' Hiei looked up, but nothing happened. He sneered at the witch,

_-yq

who popped a small packet into his mouth. It burst on his tongue.

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_-_-_-_ "It's distilled,'' the witch said proudly, "One drop is the same strength as a bottle."

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_-_-_-_ "Please don't hurt Hiei!" Yukina begged, "He just came to help me find my brother!"

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_-_-_-_ "He didn't come to help you, and you'd never recognize your brother anyway."

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_-_-_-_ " Yes I would!" Hiei was not listening, too busy trying to bear the pain that covered

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his tongue.

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_-_-_-_ "Then how come you've spent so much time with him and not realizing?'' Yukina's

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gaze darted to Youko, he was too old. Yusuke had a human mother..."

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_-_-_-_ "Kuwabara?'' Youko choked, it was a good thing Hiei was preoccupied considering

_-yq

tearing his tongue out, or he would've exploded.

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_-_-_-_" Not him. Bye the way, that stuff only gets hotter." But that only left...

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_-_-_-_" Hiei's not my brother!" she laughed. Hiei gave up staying stoic and started rolling

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on the ground.

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_-_-_-_"He can't be, that's ridiculous!" She looked at Youko, "Right?" He didn't say anything.

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She looked over at Hiei just as two tears rolled down his cheeks, crystallizing into two black

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gems that shimmered red, the opposite of Yukina's silvery ones that shone with icy blue.

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His thrashing had uncovered his gem, which started to glow, just as Yukina's began to heat.


	10. Chapter 10 The End

Sorry for not uploading, I had to clean my computer. 64 viruses.

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_-_-_-_The girl darted forward and caught Hiei's tears just before they hit the ground.

_-_-_-_"Here, this'll stop the burning," She tossed him a bottle labeled 'Milk', and he gulped it

desperately.

_-_-_-_"(This) is for you..." she said, handing one of the black tears to Yukina and grabbing one

of her silvery ones, "and this is for me." The girl twirled and cooed at the two she kept, cupped in

her hand. Yukina stared at her.

_-_-_-_"That's not true, Hiei can't be my brother he, he..." memories flashed before her eyes.

How he'd saved her, how he talked to her, how he looked at her. Like he was looking now,

broken and lost, wishing for something.

_-_-_-_"Yukina.." began Kurama, risking the witch-girl's attentions to try to comfort Yukina. She

had a stricken look on her face, like her world had just collapsed. Hiei stood, looking at the

ground, and prepared to leave. He let a fiery mask of anger settle on his face to disguise how he

felt. Yukina raised her powers, face settling into her own icy mask.

_-_-_-_" Hiei, are you my brother?" she asked coldly. He nodded. Kurama tried to say something,

but she cut him off. "You knew," she hissed, sounding like a rising blizzard, " so [shut up]." Her

power reached out, stronger than anyone had guessed and, before Hiei could respond, wrapped

around him, holding him in place."You thought I was too fragile, didn't you? That I couldn't handle

the things you did? I knew! Before you were known as Hiei, the ones you met called you Imiko.

You did enough in that name for me to know what kind of person you were! I was worried, yes,

that my brother would be a monster, but you, you are an _idiot_."

_-_-_-_The witch-girl handed Yukina a metal bat that she got from somewhere. "It's mithril," she

said proudly. Yukina swung it in a circle, testing it.

_-_-_-_ "Is this violent enough for you?" she asked sweetly, bashing Hiei across the face. She

continued beating Hiei to a bloody pulp. Kurama tried to cut in, but she gave him a look...He knew

Hiei was dangerous, he'd even almost been killed by him, but the look on her face...He

shuddered. He'd have nightmares for the rest of his life. They were definitely related. Eventually

the girl stepped in.

_-_-_-_"That's enough," she said. Yukina gave her the face, but she just smiled back at her in a

way that was somehow even scarier. "You knew your brother would not be perfect, right?"

Yukina nodded. "Well, aren't you glad he's just an idiot? There are harder things to fix than

someone being stupid about just one thing. Like them being stupid about everything.

Or them not liking chocolate. There is something seriously wrong with people who don't like

chocolate. At least you found him, and you know he likes you." Yukina considered, then lowered

the bat.

_-_-_-_"Kurama," she said, in a voice that allowed for no argument, "carry him."

_-_-_-_ "Yes Ma'am," Kurama hurried to scoop Hiei up. Just then, Yukina's face resumed it's

normal, innocent expression.

_-_-_-_ "Thank you for your help," she said, bowing to the girl. "I'll do my best to make my

brother accept me."

_-_-_-_ "Nightly reminders should do it. You can keep the bat." Hiei heard that and the Forbidden

Child, the source of nightmares and horror stories, the heir to a third of the Makai, fainted.

Three Weeks Later

_-_-_-_" Yukina, welcome home!" By coincidence, everyone was there when they got back. "Did

you fing your brother?"

_-_-_-_ "Yes," she said pleasantly, surprising Yusuke, who knew, and Genkai and Shizuru, who

had guessed and asked him while they were gone.

"He's a little tired, so Kurama-san is carrying him." Just then Kurama walked in carrying a very

battered Hiei.

_-_-_-_ "What happened?!" everyone exclaimed. "I thought you said Yukina was too delicate

to tell the truth," Yusuke added. Hiei looked away and growled.

_-_-_-_ "Why don't you and Yukina go spend some sibling time in the garden," suggested Genkai.

_-_-_-_ "Come with us!" Hiei suddenly said to Kuwabara. Yukina had mentioned that she wanted

them to get along better.

Everyone stared, especially Kuwabara, who was a little lost. Hiei looked over at Yukina, who

smiled sweetly at him, and shuddered.

A few minutes later

_-_-_-_"Hiei is Yukina's brother?!"

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This is the last chapter of Yukina's quest, however, I will be posting one more chapter with the following stories.

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Bonus story one: Kuwabara's thought's when Yukina returned

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Bonus story two: Hiei and Fireworks

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Bonus story three: How Yukina learned to Hug


	11. Chapter 11 Bonus Stories

Bonus story one: Kuwabara's thought's when Yukina returned

_-_-_-_-_ Yukina had been gone for months, but Kuwabara still came to Genkai's. At first it was accidental, he'd burst in yelling and Yusuke had laughed at him, and then it was just habit. Now it was because he was waiting for her.

_-_-_-_He hoped she'd find her brother, but he was a bit nervous. Apparently the guy was some kind of demony big-shot. And he was just a human, stronger than most, but still not on par with a lot of he was flat broke. But he loved Yukina, and he wasn't gonna give her up, no matter what her brother said. (Somehow he'd gotten it into his head that her brother would definitely (not) approve of him.)

_-_-_-_Just then Yukina came around the corner.

_-_-_-_"Yukinaaa!" he bellowed, running over to her. Her kimono was a little dirty, and her hair was coming out of her tie, but she was still gorgeous. He babbled at her for a bit, then noticed she was alone. Kurama came out of the forest holding Hiei, who looked like he'd been hit by a truck. No, Yusuke had been hit by a car, Hiei looked a lot worse. The shrimp probably picked a fight with the wrong person.

_-_-_-_"Did you find your brother?"

_-_-_-_"Yes, Yukina beamed. Kuwabara grinned, glad she was happy, but where was the guy? Shouldn't he be able to see, or sense, him?

_-_-_-_ "What happened?!" everyone exclaimed. "I thought you said Yukina was too delicate to tell the truth," Yusuke said.

Kuwabara almost snorted. Yukina was beautiful, kind, and dainty, yes, but not delicate. A delicate person couldn't go through what she did and still be sane, let alone clever and (kind).

_-_-_-_Everyone started congratulating Yukina.

_-_-_-_ "Why don't you and Yukina go spend some sibling time in the garden," suggested Genkai.

Hey! How come the shrimp got to go, but he didn't? And where was Yukina's brother? _-_-_-_-_"Come with us!" Hiei suddenly said to Kuwabara.

_-_-_-_Kuwabara did a quick check. He thought he was awake, and if he was dead, he would've gotten a ride with Botan, right? And (where) was Yukina's...

_-_-_-_No. It couldn't be...But that time, and then... why would...Kuwawbara was a lot smarter than people gave him credit for. You had to point him in the right direction, but once you did, he got there pretty fast.

_-_-_-_Hiei is Yukina's brother?!" Well, it could be worse. The shrimp was mean, but a good person. He thought...

Bonus story two: Hiei and Fireworks

Hiei slowly made his way to the temple. Well, slowly for him, others would have trouble seeing more than a blur. He was tired. There'd been a minor rebellion in his boss' lands, and she'd sent him to take care of it. Alone. He did it, but it took a lot out of him. Now he was headed to see the one's at the old lady's house. Somehow, being around Yukina, the fox, the idiot, and the detective recharged him.

Suddenly, there was an explosion, and colored flames lit up the sky. Hiei froze, but his heart sped up. Then he sprinted ahead, flaring his Youki.

There was only one thing that made a display like that. A fire demon courting a demoness. And the only demoness worthy of being courted was Yukina. No way he was letting that happen.

He couldn't feel anyone but the detective and his friends. Surely they'd stop the demon, but their auras didn't seem like they were fighting. And how was the demon using that much magic while masking his presence? Hiei hadn't even know something like that was possible!

Hiei was only a few hundred feet away when Yukina shrieked. He burst into the clearing, sword in hand, and ready to rip away the bandage covering his Jagan.

Everyone but the detective and the idiot were seated on the porch, watching the sky. Those two were crouched on the lawn. All of a sudden they jumped up and ran back. The thing on the ground popped, and something flew into the sky. Hiei watched it whistle up and explode in a flower-like shape. Everyone clapped.

Hiei put his sword away and stepped forward, attempting to force his heart to slow down. He should've know something that loud and annoying had to be the detective.

"That's it, all out!" bellowed the detective, and everyone groaned. Except Yukina, who'd noticed Hiei.

"Hiei-san!" She ran forward to stand in front of him, smiling. Kurama, also smiling, followed.

"Did you see the fireworks?" he smirked. Stupid fox, he knew exactly what Hiei had thought they were. "Human's use them for celebrations."

"They're so pretty," Yukina sighed, "But there aren't any more."

"Hn, those were nothing," Hiei scoffed, walking to where the Detective and Idiot had crouched. Hiei raised his hands and let loose a burst of white-hot flames. He scattered them, and the effect was like a blizzard. Yukina clapped furiously. He put those embers out before they caught the old lady's plants on fire, and used all the colors he could make to entertain Yukina. He'd never let his flames dance for a female before, but Yukina was worth it.

Bonus story three: How Yukina learned to Hug

Yukina was surrounded by males. Since leaving the Island, she'd gotten to know several men, even be slightly friendly with them, but she'd never stood this close to this many of them. They were trying to figure out what to do with her. They didn't seem to be like Toguro, and she didn't think the small dark one would let them harm her, but she was still a little nervous.

"She can't stay with me," one with dark hair said loudly, "My Mom'd have a fit."

"That is true for me as well," another said smoothly. Yukina thought he was a demon, but she wasn't sure. He had dark red hair. She loved the color red, it reminded her of fire. It was forbidden to start a fire, but sometimes lightning storms would ignite a tree. She liked to play with the flames, although she never let anyone catch her. Koorime were really weak to fire, if they'd known it didn't burn her at all they might have been worse to her than they had. But there was one person whose hair was more fire-like than the mabe-demons'.

It was the human, the loud one who said he loved her. "She should stay with me," he declared. Yukina didn't think she'd like that. This man fascinated her, he was so tall, while most Koorime were short, he was loud where they were quiet, he spoke of his feelings, a taboo subject, and he had fiery hair that she was having a hard time not jumping up to see if it was hot, but she wasn't sure that she wanted to live with him. The only man she'd lived with was Toguro, and she hadn't liked that very much.

"She could stay with Hiei," the first man said.

"No way!" the fire-head said, "the shrimp'll kill her! And he doesn't even have a house!"

"For once the idiot is right. I have no place for her to stay," said the small dark man. Hiei. The shrimp What was a shrimp? Yukina wondered.

"Perhaps she should stay with Genkai," the other redhead suggested. Everyone brightened, and eventually the tall man, Kuwawbara, agreed too. They brought her to a large house in a forest. It was quiet, and looked Yukina thought it looked very pretty. A small elderly woman walked out, and Yukina's heart sank. She didn't want to live with men, but the elderly Koorime were not nice to her at all, and the other older female demons she'd met didn't seem to want her to stay either.

"Granny! Can this girl stay with you?" shouted one of the men. The woman disappeared, reappearing next to the man and punching him in the gut. Yukina's eyes widened.

"Yusuke, don't call me granny." The woman turned to regard Yukina, looking her up and down. "Why should I put up a demon in my house?" Yukina's heart sank. She wasn't wanted here.

"She could help you, you are getting a little old for housework," Yusuke said earning another punch. "Damnit!"

"Hmmm, what do you think girl?" the woman turned to me. I nodded furiously, not wanting to argue with such a formidable lady.

A few weeks later, after Yukina has settled in, and most of the team has gotten over her newness.

Kuwabara was here again. He came every day to proclaim his love for me, and to tell me things. I was learning a lot about humans. But there was one thing that puzzled me. On the TV, a small box that showed moving pictures to tell a story, everyone had assured me that they were just stories, I'd seen something strange. Two people were standing there, and one of them ran up to the other and tackled the other. Instead of falling, or pushing the attacker away, the human had wrapped their own arms around the other person. Then they separated and smiled at each other, as if nothing had happened.

Now that I was remembering, I recalled that Yusuke had done something similar with Kuwabara, and decided to ask him about it.

"You don't know what a hug is?" he asked, surprised.

"A hug?" I repeated.

"Yeah, that's what its called."

"What is it for?" I knew it probably wasn't an attack, since all the times I saw it on the TV, the people were happy.

"You hug someone when you like them." Kuwawabara said.

"When you like them?"

"Yeah, when you're, you know, happy to see them." I think I had it.

"To say you are glad they are not dead?" I asked, just to make sure. Kuwabara nodded. I stood up and walked over to where he was sitting and...hugged...him. I also snuck my hand into his hair. It was soft, but not hot, like fire was. He was warm though. He turned red and started spluttering, for some reason having a hard time speaking.

"Did I do it wrong?" I asked, concerned. I thought he was supposed to smile.

'N-No, no, you j-just surfrised me," he stuttered.

"What are you doing," came a cold voice from the doorway. Hiei-san!

"It is called a hug. Humans do it to show their affection," came Kurama's voice from behind him.

"Unhand her." Hiei glared at Kuwabara. I let go of Kuwabara and walked over to Hiei, hugging him as well. He was hotter than Kuwabara, he felt like fire. I guess that made sense, he was a fire demon.

"I am glad you are not dead Shrimp-san," i said, using his title. he froze, his glare doubling. I let go of him, shocked. He was not glaring at me, but I could feel his anger He drew his sword and advanced on a laughing Kuwabara. Kurama cleared his throat.

"Yukina, his name is not Shrimp."

"I thought it was a title, does he not like it?" I asked hesitantly.

"A shrimp is an animal that lives in water. Humans use it to refer to people of small stature. It is not always a nice term, and even when it is, the people do not always take it that way." I thought about it, and that made sense. I did not always like being called 'ice maiden', even though I was one.

"Should we stop them?" I asked, referring to Hiei and Kuwabara. I could tell that they were not serious, but they were bleeding.

"No, they'll calm down soon," Kurama said, after considering it for a moment.

"Would you like some time?" I asked him.

"That would be lovely." And we left.


End file.
